51 Facts About Tamika Catchings

Tamika Devonne Catchings was born on July 21,1979 and is an American retired professional basketball player who played her entire 15-year career for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association.

Tamika Catchings is one of only 11 women to receive an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a Fiba World cup gold and a WNBA Championship.

Tamika Catchings has been selected to ten WNBA All-Star teams, 12 All-WNBA teams, 12 All-Defensive teams and led the league in steals eight times.

In 2011, Tamika Catchings was voted in by fans as one of the WNBA's Top 15 Players of All Time, and would be named to two more all-time WNBA teams, the WNBA Top 20@20 in 2016 and The W25 in 2021.

Tamika Catchings served as President of the WNBA Players Association from 2012 to 2016.

Tamika Catchings was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.

Tamika Catchings played for both Adlai E Stevenson High School and Duncanville High School, where she was named a WBCA All-American.

Tamika Catchings participated in the WBCA High School All-America Game where she scored twelve points.

Tamika Catchings is the first player at any level in history to be officially credited with scoring a quintuple-double.

Tamika Catchings earned the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the AP Player of the Year award, the USBWA Women's National Player of the Year award, and the WBCA Player of the Year award in 2000.

Tamika Catchings was drafted 3rd overall by the Indiana Fever in 2001.

In 2005, Tamika Catchings scored her 2,000th point in the Women's National Basketball Association.

Tamika Catchings is the fastest to 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists, and 300 steals.

In 2005, Tamika Catchings was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Tamika Catchings then repeated as Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.

Tamika Catchings was again named Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010.

In 2006, Tamika Catchings was voted into the 2006 WNBA All-Star Game, and was the leading vote-getter, but had to sit out because of a foot injury.

Months before the 2008 season, the Fever traded for hometown all-star shooting guard Katie Douglas to pair up with Tamika Catchings, forming an all-star duo to compete for a championship and strengthen their lineup.

In game 2 of the series, Tamika Catchings suffered a right foot injury.

Tamika Catchings scored a game-high 25 points in the final game of the series and won WNBA Finals MVP.

In 2014, Tamika Catchings missed the Fever's first 17 games of the season with a sore back and returned 6 games prior to the 2014 WNBA All-Star Game in which she was selected to play in.

Tamika Catchings finished the game with 22 points, 10 rebounds and 7 steals surpassing Lisa Leslie for most WNBA career playoff rebounds.

In October 2014 in a TV interview, Tamika Catchings revealed that she will be retiring after the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Tamika Catchings scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 30 minutes of play.

Tamika Catchings holds another WNBA record for most consecutive playoff appearances of 12 straight seasons.

Tamika Catchings was listed in the WNBA Top 20@20, a list of the league's best 20 players ever in celebration of the WNBA's 20th season in 2016, and The W25, a similar list of 25 players announced during the league's 25th season in 2021.

Tamika Catchings was named to the USA Basketball Women's Junior National Team.

Tamika Catchings continued with the team when it was invited to the 1997 FIBA Junior World Championship held in Natal, Brazil.

Tamika Catchings had a double-double in the game with 17 points and ten rebounds.

Tamika Catchings was the second leading scorer for the USA team with 13.2 points per game and the leading rebounder with 7.2 per game.

In 1998, Tamika Catchings was named to the team representing the US at the William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan.

Tamika Catchings averaged 6.4 points per game over the five games.

Tamika Catchings played for the USA women's basketball team at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, helping the team win the gold medal.

Tamika Catchings was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009.

Tamika Catchings was selected to be a member of the National team representing the US at the World Championships held in September and October 2010.

Tamika Catchings was named as one of the National team members to represent the USA Basketball team in the WNBA versus USA Basketball.

Tamika Catchings was one of 21 finalists for the US Women's Olympic Basketball Team Roster.

Tamika Catchings was selected for the final roster, and was part of the US team that won the gold medal.

Tamika Catchings played her first year overseas during the WNBA offseason in 2003, she played in South Korea for Asan Woori Bank Wibee.

In January 2017, it was announced that Tamika Catchings will serve as a game analyst for Women's Basketball Games on SEC Network.

In February 2017, Tamika Catchings purchased a tea shop, Tea's Me Cafe from the previous owners on the near north side of Indianapolis that she had been frequenting while playing for the Indiana Fever.

Tamika Catchings competed in the Baltimore qualifying round of Season 11 of American Ninja Warrior.

Tamika Catchings previously served as the Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager for the Indiana Fever.

In 2004, Tamika Catchings founded the Catch the Stars Foundation, a charitable organization that provides basketball camps, fitness clinics, mentoring and literacy programs for underprivileged children to help them become successful in sports and academics.

Tamika Catchings is the daughter of former NBA player Harvey Tamika Catchings.

Tamika Catchings's cousin Bobby is a starting forward for Eastern Illinois University's basketball team.

Tamika Catchings majored in Sports Management at the University of Tennessee.

Tamika Catchings was born hard of hearing; she wore a hearing aid as a young girl.

On June 24,2008, Tamika Catchings was awarded the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award for her work in the Indianapolis community with her Catch the Stars foundation.

Tamika Catchings refereed a game of 3-on-3 basketball played by Barack Obama along with local students from Kokomo, Indiana at the Maple Crest Middle School on April 25,2008.

In February 2016, Tamika Catchings married Parnell Smith, a former basketball player for the University at Buffalo.